O2 London Addresses Foo Fighters Ticket Snafu

After some 200 fans were turned away from the Foo Fighters gig at  Sept. 19, the arena’s operators have issued a statement reiterating the event’s “names on ticket” policy. 

Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters
Scott Legato / RockStarProPhotography.com
– Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters
The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Mich

People showing up at the venue without ID or with a ticket bought on a secondary ticketing site and therefore not having the ticket holders name on them were initially refused entry. Many left disappointed, while others were reportedly allowed into the venue after hours of complaining.

The London Evening Standard reported of one such lucky customer, who had acquired two tickets on StubHub for £420 and was eventually admitted into the building. The customer made an email from StubHub available to the Standard, which read: “It’s fine to see someone else’s name on the tickets.”

London’s O2 issued the following statement the day after the Foo Fighters gig:

 “The Foo Fighters show that took place at The O2 last night had a strict ‘names on ticket’ policy. The stipulation that ID would be required for admittance to the show was clearly stated at the time of announcement and was explicitly noticed at the point of purchase.

“Other measures in place to combat the risk of ticket reselling included a strict limit of 2 tickets per person as well as a range of anti-fraud measures regularly deployed. These added measures were put in place at the direction of the Foo Fighters to protect their fans.

“Despite these requirements being in place, some purchasers listed their tickets for resale on secondary sites, including StubHub, in clear contravention to the ID requirement and the direction received from The O2, the Foo Fighters and the promoter of the show [SJM]. As a result, approximately 200 people who held tickets that were not in the name of the original purchaser were denied entry to the show. 

“We are extremely disappointed if you didn’t get to see the show and urge anyone who encountered issues to contact their point of purchase for a full refund.”

StubHub since confirmed that it would refund people that were turned away, in accordance with the company’s terms.